


Bring the Outside in

by Daughter_of_Scotland



Series: Rain's [7]
Category: The Flash
Genre: Angst, Bondage, Fluff, M/M, Pet Names, Praise Kink, asshole friends, bdsm shaming, misconception of bdsm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-16
Updated: 2016-07-16
Packaged: 2018-07-24 10:48:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7505305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daughter_of_Scotland/pseuds/Daughter_of_Scotland
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Len and Barry are in a great place.<br/>And then people find out. Some react better than others.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bring the Outside in

**Author's Note:**

> This chapter was a bitch. I mean, the beginning was great. But then I had to concentrate on angst and I just... ugh.
> 
> The first scene was inspired by [this awesome picture](http://daughterofscotland.tumblr.com/post/145799566129/snowflakesandlightning-kipsiih-woo-happy) by [Kipsiih](http://kipsiih.tumblr.com/) which she gifted to me for my last birthday. So glad I could finally use it as inspiration! (Kipsi is awesome and deserves lots of awards.)
> 
> Not beta read and the title is from ["Shudder before the Beautiful" by Nightwish ](https://play.google.com/store/music/album?id=Bywv2z5guvcofpuni56ufb6i6lq&tid=song-Tmh7ofamt4wdb4qbf5mj3rujhuu)

Just like that, baby, keep still.”

 

Barry circled Len, letting his fingers trail over the flushed skin of his partner. Len sat on his ass, his legs spread but bent. Red rope went from his neck down over his chest, criss-crossing down his arms, holding them straight together behind his back. He was biting his lip, his eyes shining, and Barry wanted to take pictures to keep the beautiful image for himself forever. But, that was one of Len’s limits, as long as he didn’t ask for it himself, so he wouldn’t.

 

“Are you uncomfortable, darling?” he whispered. “Can you still take it?” He knew the position of his legs must be killing Len by now, half an hour after he took the position.

 

“Yes, sir, I can take it,” Len breathed, his voice clipped, but his eyes followed Barry. “I feel good.”

 

Barry smiled. “I’m glad to hear that,” he assured the other man, “but you’ve been like this for a while. I’m worried about the blood flow to your arms. I would like to untie you in a bit. And then I’d like for you to lie on the bed, on your belly. Can you do that for me, sweetheart?”

 

Len nodded. “Yes, sir. Whatever you say.”

 

“Good,” Barry said, stepping behind Len and starting on the knots. “I’m going to massage your arms and legs for a bit. And then I’d like you to suck me. Would you like that, darling?”

 

“Yes!” Len responded eagerly. “Yes, sir, I want to do that. Please let me suck you.”

 

Barry chuckled and kissed Len’s neck as he untied him. “No need to hurry, darling,” he reassured him. “I’ll give you exactly what you need.”

 

He removed the rope and helped Len onto the bed, supporting him on his unsteady legs.

 

“Relax,” Barry whispered as he grabbed the massage oil and started to rub the feeling back into Len’s extremities. 

 

Twenty minutes later, Len was a puddle of relaxed goo, lying on his stomach, suckling on Barry’s cock in front of his face. Barry was sitting against the headboard, carding his fingers over Len’s head and reading  _ Arabian Nights _ to him.

 

Both of them felt happier than they had in days.

 

***

 

When Len entered the apartment he, Lisa, and Mick were staying in right now he was greeted by a heavenly smell.

 

“Please tell me those are your meatballs,” he groaned as he took off his jacket, put it in the closet, and entered the kitchen.

 

Mick grunted from where he stood at the stove. “Thought we deserved somethin’ special,” he said. “Hard work lately.”

 

“No kidding,” Lisa agreed, sipping her iced tea. “Being a hero is much more exhausting than being a thief.”

 

“And less lucrative,” Len agreed. Still. Helping out Team Flash made for better publicity, and the Rogues were gaining in popularity, which made life easier. He took off the sweater he wore, never having a problem showing off his arms to his sister and best friends.

 

“Holy shit,” Lisa exclaimed, almost spitting out her drink.

 

Mick turned around, looking at her first and then following the line of her sight - to Len’s arms. He lifted an eyebrow. “Something you need to tell us, Lenny?”

 

Len frowned and looked down - and saw the marks left by the ropes. He blanched and reached for his sweater again, but Lisa snatched it first.

 

“Oh no,” she said. “You’re not getting out of this so easily.”

 

“Lisa,” he warned.

 

“No,” she said more firmly. “I know you, Lenny. I know you have some… Interests I’m not very comfortable talking with you about - you’re my brother, after all - but the last time I saw you with rope burn didn’t end well!”

 

Mick nodded as Len remembered his last semi-relationship with a dom. Lisa was right. That one hadn’t ended well.

 

“It’s not like that,” he assured them, crossing his arms over his chest, glad he was still wearing a T-Shirt and they couldn’t see the marks on his chest. Or the redness of his ass, after the spanking Barry had given him for round two.

 

“Really?” Mick asked, turning off the stove and moving closer. If Len didn’t know him so well, he wouldn’t see the concern on his best friend’s face. “That’s what you said last time, too. And that asshole’s still in jail.”

 

Len licked his lips, looked away, and then back between his sister and best friend who now stood next to each other. He felt warmth at the sight of their concern, but he was still unsure how to explain to them that there was nothing to worry about.

 

“It’s different,” he said, flexing his fingers. “He’s… We… It’s…” He broke off, a frustrated sigh leaving him. He couldn’t explain it without telling them who it was. They wouldn’t believe him.

 

Since they had started working with Team Flash, Barry had outed himself to Lisa and Mick. They knew he was the Flash. But Len wasn’t sure if he should tell them that Barry was also his dom. It was a different secret altogether.

 

“Holy shit,” Lisa whispered, her eyes shining. “You love this person.”

 

Len stared at her, his mouth open, but no sound coming out. 

 

Mick laughed. “You’re right,” he exclaimed gleefully. “Our fearless leader is head over heels for someone.” He sobered and smiled at Len. “Good for you, boss.”

 

Len felt his face heat up. He was so happy none of the other Rogues could see him like this, they would never let him live it down.

 

“It’s complicated,” he started lamely, but stopped himself. Was it really?

 

“No, actually,” he continued, slower, his arms sinking to his sides. “It’s not. I love him, he loves me. He is good to me, gives me what I need, without me even asking.” 

He looked up at Lisa and Mick, into their elated faces, Lisa with her soft smile and shining eyes, Mick with his gruff demeanor that hid his happiness all too well. 

“He makes me happy,” Len added softly, amazed at himself for admitting it so easily. “Really happy.”

 

Lisa squealed and flung her arms around his neck. “I’m so glad for you,” she whispered into his ear. “You deserve it.”

 

Mick clasped his shoulder and squeezed. “Good for you, Lenny,” he said and then turned back to the stove. “Now sit your ass down, the food’s getting cold.”

 

Len laughed. “Yeah, alright. Just let me grab a cushion first.”

 

He moved to the living room to get one, followed by Lisa’s disgusted “Ew, I didn’t need to know that, Lenny!”. 

 

He hadn’t lied. He really was happy. He needed to tell Barry. 

 

After dinner, because Mick’s meatballs always came first.

 

***

 

Barry entered the lab on high spirits. His meeting with Len had gone  _ exceptionally  _ well, there were no new metas on the loose, Isabelle was settling in perfectly - his life, for the moment, was trouble free.

 

That’s what he thought until he entered the cortex and found Caitlin and Cisco googling  _ Rain’s _ .

 

“What are you doing?” he asked them, his voice slightly anxious.

 

They looked up and turned to him with matching expressions of curiosity and confusion. 

 

“Well,” Caitlin began, crossing her arms in front of her. “You never ended up telling us about that phone call you had a few days ago.”

 

“We just wanted to know what’s going on,” Cisco added, leaning against the table, his fingers drumming on the edge. “Dude. You’re actually into that stuff?”

 

Barry’s face shut down so fast, he could feel it, and he crossed his own arms in front of his chest. “Into what  _ stuff _ , exactly?”

 

“You know,” Cisco said, waving a hand. “Hurting people, telling them to lick your boots, parading them around naked… All that 50 Shades stuff.”

 

Barry felt himself going cold. “That’s not  _ at all _ what I’m doing,” he snapped, “and if you knew me at all you wouldn’t even dare think that of me!” 

 

Caitlin actually stepped back at bit at the anger in his voice. “Barry, that’s not at all what we think,” she tried to reassure him, but he cut her off.

 

“No? Cisco just said it,” he pointed out. “And instead of just  _ asking _ me you investigate behind my back? What the hell, guys?”

 

Cisco frowned. “Woah, man. It’s not like the website is a secret. Though it’s pretty uninformative, I was thinking of asking Felicity -”

 

“Don’t you dare!” Barry exploded. “Don’t you dare telling everyone about my private business! The fact that you knew nothing about this, that I never told you, should have given you enough of an impression: This is  _ my  _ business. Not the CCPD’s, not The Flash’s. And most certainly not yours or Felicity’s.”

 

He glared at them with a ferocity he hadn’t felt in a long time. “We’re done talking about this,” he forestalled any other things they could say. “What you did today was invasive and hurtful. I don’t really want to be here for a while.”

 

He sped out before they could say something, he couldn’t bear their presence anymore. This is why he didn’t tell people about  _ Rain’s _ . Not even Iris knew he was still acting as a dom, though she knew he’d gotten into it in College. Joe would never find out, as far as Barry was concerned. 

 

And now, having his friends spout all this…  _ Trash _ about the thing he loved most in the world… It just hurt. And pissed him off. He didn’t need that harsh reminder of the real world today.

 

***

 

Len couldn’t reach Barry. 

 

The first evening he didn’t worry. He figured Barry was as exhausted as he was after a good session, and, full of Mick’ awesome food, he just went to bed. 

But he couldn’t reach him the whole next day either, and that was unusual.

 

Len frowned at his phone again as he exited his car and walked over to  _ Rain’s. _ He had texted Barry he would be there for a few hours, giving the other ample time to meet him there. He just hoped Barry got the message and he wouldn’t wait for nothing.

 

He put his phone away as he reached the entrance, greeting Danny, the bouncer for the night (nice kid, still in college, and using the money Elaine paid him for expenses, as he’d gotten a full scholarship).

 

“Hey, Len,” Danny said and gave him one of his thousand watt smiles. “Barry’s not here yet.”

 

Len squashed down the disappointment. “I see. Thank you, Danny. If he comes by, will you tell him I’m at the bar?”

 

“Sure thing,” Danny nodded and let him in.

 

Len proceeded to take his favorite place at the bar and ordered his favorite drink. He hoped he didn’t have to wait too long.

  
  


It had been two hours and Barry still wasn’t here. Len wondered if he should just cut his losses and leave for the night. Maybe he could swing by STAR Labs? Ask if Barry was okay? He was starting to worry; Barry never went this long without answering his messages.

 

Before he could make up his mind, Len heard a familiar voice behind him.

 

“Man, this place looks so dope.”

 

Len turned, his whole being radiating incredulity. Sure enough, his ears hadn’t mislead him. Cisco Ramon, followed by Dr. Caitlin Snow, had entered the club and were, at a loss for a better word, staring.

 

Now,  _ Rain’s  _ was open to the public. You had to get a membership to be allowed to play, but the club itself did not require one. But those two had never been here and from what Barry had told him, they didn’t even know about the place. So Len was pretty surprised to see them.

 

Before he could make up his mind to talk to them, ask them about Barry, they had already spotted him. 

 

Snow’s face went blank immediately, and Ramon frowned. Len put on his usual mask of cold indifference without even thinking about it.

 

Since he had started working with Team Flash, they had gotten along better - but still not stellar. It was all still too new. Snow hadn’t forgiven him and Mick entirely, and Ramon would never be his biggest fan. Usually they had Barry to run interference, but he wasn’t here. 

 

Cisco and Caitlin moved towards him just a second later. Len looked around, seeing neither Elaine nor any of the people he usually talked to close by. But the bartender saw him and nodded quickly. Len relaxed; if things got out of hand he would have someone nearby to… Well. He would have to see.

 

“Ramon, Dr. Snow,” he greeted them both with a slight head tilt. “I’m surprised to see you here.”

 

“We’re here to support Barry,” Ramon said, sneering a bit. “You being here, though, surprises me not a bit.”

 

Len blinked, actually taken aback. Not just because Cisco basically  _ outed  _ Barry in a way - he couldn’t know that Len knew about Barry’s visits to the club after all - but because of what he was implying. “Excuse me?”

 

Snow crossed her arms in front of her chest and glared at him. “What are you doing here, Snart?” she asked.

 

“Isn’t it obvious, Caitlin?” Ramon said before Len could answer. “He’s here to find some poor young guy or girl to boss around. Maybe whip them? Or do you prefer to do the physical stuff with your hands? I really hope you’re not bringing your gun in here - wouldn’t want to have to call an ambulance for frost burn after all.”

 

Len was speechless. Yes, he and Ramon still had their difficulties, but this…  _ Hate  _ was a total surprise. 

And then he felt the cold rushing through him. It wasn’t the first time someone mistook him for a dom, there were still lots of people even in the club who didn’t grasp the concept that there was no specific  _ look _ for an orientation. But he always felt uncomfortable at the thought of raising his hand to anyone - guns were different, but hands? They reminded him so much of his father, he felt sick just thinking about hitting someone, even in a scene.

 

Ramon was ignoring, or not even registering the look of revulsion on Len’s face, because he was still going. “Do you tie them up? Suspend them in the air, maybe, so you can reach better? That’s what you can do at clubs like these, right?” He looked around, noticing the stage where a St. Andrew’s cross was standing, left over from the last open performance. “I bet that thing is one of your favorites, right?”

 

“Cisco, stop,” Snow said, watching Len with a worried look. He wondered why she looked worried, but then he noticed that he was shaking. Huh. His stomach was also rolling and his hands were trembling.

 

“Yes, Cisco, stop.”

 

Len had never been so happy to hear Barry’s voice. Not even when Amelia had been here. He turned around a bit and saw Barry standing to their left. His whole stance radiated tension and his eyes were like liquid fire.

 

Ramon spun around, shock on his face. “Barry! I didn’t know you’d be here.”

 

“No, you wouldn’t,” Barry said. His voice was deadly quiet and even. “Since you haven’t told me you were coming.”

 

“We just wanted to see what it’s all about, Barry,” Snow tried to explain. “We know we crossed a line earlier -”

 

“And you thought you would make it better by crossing another?” Barry asked, coming closer. “Coming here, gawking, not understanding what it’s about… Upsetting people.”

 

Ramon frowned. “What, you mean Snart?” he asked. “Dude, I know he’s supposed to be on our side now, but you do know who he is, right?”

 

“Yes, Cisco, I know,” Barry said and by now he had reached Len’s side, putting his hand on Len’s shoulder. 

 

Len immediately relaxed, leaning against him and closing his eyes. Barry was here. He didn’t have to worry anymore.

 

“ _ Len  _ is mine,” Barry said, still in that eerily calm voice. “Mine to protect, mine to cherish, mine to love. And you’ve hurt him, thus making me a very bad example of what I consider my privilege to be. For the second time in as many days you’ve  _ deliberately  _ invaded my privacy, ignored my wishes in that matter, and also managed to insult not only the most important person in my life, but also a safe space.”

 

His voice got even quieter. “Get the hell out of here. Now, before I have you escorted out - or call the owner. You wouldn’t want either.”

 

“Barry,” Snow said, hurt evident in her voice. “We’re your friends.”

 

“My  _ friends _ who just disregard everything I told them about my private business being  _ private _ ,” he informed her icily. His hand on Len’s shoulder stayed soft and reassuring, while his anger poured out of him, like an island of safety in the storm he released upon his friends. 

 

“Dude,” Ramon tried and Barry actually waved his hand to cut him off. 

 

“Don’t!” he snapped. “I told you to get the fuck out and I meant it. Don’t expect me at the Labs soon, I need time to get over this, and do damage control. Because, believe it or not, people here are not deaf. A lot of them heard what you said and are not very happy about it.”

 

Ramon and Snow looked around uncomfortably. Len followed their gaze, seeing quite a few people staring at them, various mixtures of disapproval, anger, and hurt on their faces.

 

“Alright, Barry,” Snow said quietly. “We’re going. But please, talk to us soon.” She gave Len a quick nod and, gripping Ramon’s shirt to drag him with her, left the club.

 

Barry watched them leave and only relaxed when they were behind the curtain to the entrance. Then he turned to Len and cupped his face with both his hands. 

 

“I’m so sorry I didn’t answer your messages,” he said and leaned their foreheads together. “I needed some time to think. I didn’t expect them to come here. Are you okay?”

 

Len thought about it. His hands found Barry’s waist, holding on. Was he okay?

 

“You just told them I’m the most important person in your life,” he finally said, wonder in his voice. “You actually did that.”

 

Barry smiled, which Len could barely see from the position they were in. “Yes, I did. Because it’s the truth.”

 

Len leaned forward and kissed him briefly. “Then I’m great.”

 

Barry’s smile widened and he chuckled. “Good,” he said. “But we’ll talk about it later, yeah?”

 

“Yes,” Len said with a nod, untangling himself. “Also about the fact that we need to have brunch with Lisa and Mick.”

 

Barry almost stumbled as he stared at Len. “Wha… Really?”

 

Len smirked and nodded.

 

Barry swallowed. “Okay then. Later.” He turned around, visibly flustered, and addressed the various doms and subs that had witnessed the whole confrontation.

 

Len watched him do damage control, making sure no one would spread rumors or feel threatened in their safe space, and briefed the bartender on what to tell Elaine.

 

Yes, they would talk about this later, but for now Len was just the same as he’d been the day before: Completely happy.

**Author's Note:**

> Well then. I hope you liked it.
> 
> Cisco is an asshole, and Caitlin is nosy and both ignore boundaries.  
> For Caitlin, it's mostly because she worries about Barry.  
> Cisco is more curious.  
> Both have zero ideas about BDSM, except for those that are popular and portrayed very wrongly. The way they handle the whole thing is wrong.
> 
> Even though Len, Mick, and Lisa work with Team Flash now, there are still lot's of things they have to work out. And because of their fight with Barry, Cisco is even more vicious towards Len like usual - letting out his frustration on the wrong person.
> 
> Comments are love <3


End file.
